03/11/10

I loved the lanterns/lights in Charleston... that flame flickering was just lovely on the sides of houses and on lamp posts.

Infamous Rainbow Row

It was late in the day and not a great time to capture these in their beauty. It is better in the morning, I would think, when the sun is just coming up over the water.

03/10/10

A fancy hitching post.....


Wesley and Mikayla performed for their third grade play today. They all did such a wonderful job!! It was nice to have a few moments to be "Mom" before heading back to the classroom. I'll try to remember to share pictures later.

03/09/10

Here is a lovely balcony in Charleston. Notice the circular plate in the walls? Those are for helping the buildings if there is an earthquake. However, they have done all they can do with tightening any of the walls so they are really of no use. We were told while we were there that Charleston is about 25 years overdo for an earthquake. That is a nice thought.

I loved these lamposts. They were real flames and not lightbulbs! I took quite a few pictures of them but kept only this one as I seemed to have been obsessed at the moment.

Loved those cobblestone streets.

Here is yet another questionnaire that I took from my brother who took it off of someone else's blog. No great whirlings of the mind lately.


1 . What is your name spelled backwards? eilleK relwoF
2. What did you do last night? Fell asleep early after reading to the kids
3. What was the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Don't remember

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? That would be - NO.
5. When was the last time you swam in a pool? I think last summer but I don't really swim often.
6. What are you wearing? Dress pants and a green sweater.... what I wore to school today.
7. How many cars have you owned? 4 - with the Golden Chariot being the one we've had the longest - 10 years.

8. What is the type of music you dislike most? Hard Rock mess and I'm not really fond of Rap....
9. Are you registered to vote? Yes
10. Do you have cable? Satellite
11. What kind of computer do you use? Dell
12. Have you ever made a prank phone call? When I was little... with my cousins. We called these people and said "Is your refrigerator running?" Other person: "Yes" US: "Well, you better go catch it!!" Mom and Dad = not happy.

13. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Absolutely NOT. I am not a thrill seeker.
14. What is the furthest place you ever traveled? Canada.... Quebec province to be exact.

15. What's your favorite comic strip? Comic strips? Haven't really read those in years.
16. Do you know all of the words to the national anthem? Yes
17. Do you shower in the morning or at night? In the morning.... at 5:00 AM. lol
18. What is your favorite pizza topping? CHEESE
19. Chips or popcorn? Popcorn... unless they are plain chips and I can dip them in mustard. Yes, people, I said MUSTARD.
20. What cell phone provider do you use? Verizon.
21. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? Now THAT is interesting.....
22. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? That would be NO... and I just don't agree with them "educational" or not.
23. Orange juice or apple juice? Apple most of the time, but I also enjoy orange juice.
24. With whom were the last people you sat at lunch? My fellow teachers as we scarfed down our food and watched children do strange things with their food.
25. Favorite chocolate bar? Dove Dark Chocolate.... so smooth and silky!!!
26. Who is your oldest friend and how long have you known each other? I have to agree with Kevin when he said I was his oldest friend when he did this survey... it would have to be him. We have known each other now for almost 39 years. Now THAT is a friendship. lol

27. When was the last time you ate a homegrown tomato? I guess last summer since we grew them and my parents/brother grew them.
28. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes.... for AWANA and my "Senior trophy" that I thought was so wonderful then but I think is now collecting dust in my attic. I also won a cheerleading trophy at a cheerleading camp one summer.... don't even know where that thing is.

29. Favorite arcade game? I'm just not into any of that....
30. Ever ordered from an infomercial? I don't think so.... does QVC count?? lol

31. Sprite or 7-UP? Sprite
32. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? No, thank goodness. I like variety in what I wear and see. Who knows, though.... it may come to that.

33. Last thing you bought at Walgreens? Don't recall because it has been a VERY long time since I've been there. I'm guessing some kind of medicine.
34. Ever thrown up in public? I don't think so.....
35. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? True love.
36. Do you believe in love at first sight? Well.... I believe you can really, really, really, like someone when you see them at first sight. (Remember the post of when Steve and I met?????) However, I feel love comes from really knowing someone. You can't tell that from sight.
37. Spongebob or Jimmy Neutron? Let's just say they both get on my nerves. Does that answer it?
38. Did you have long hair as a young kid? I was blessed with a bowl cut.... I always used to say that if I had a daughter when I grew up she would have long hair.... and you see she does!
39. What message is on your voicemail? One from my best friend last May when she said she needed "counseling" with me.... she was being quite silly. It makes me laugh when I hear it so I keep saving it.
40. Where would you like to go right now? To sleep.
41. What's the name of your pet? Boogie - Dog; Isabelle - cat; Sampson - cat :)
42. What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it? It's a dark blue one.... probably inside is hand sanitizer and tissues from when I take it to places at school, the fair, field trips, vacations, etc....
43. What kind of tennis shoes do you have? Aasics (Did I even spell that right?)

03/08/10

This is the former meat market building. This begins the long area of the market. It is a great area to visit and look around. We didn't go in this building, though. There just wasn't enough time for us to get everything done!

03/07/10

Hitching posts still around town in Charleston. If you ride your horse into the city, you'll be good.
The walls were made of brick and covered in stucco which was then lined to look like large brick from England. Apparently they just weren't as excited over the brick look. lol
You have all kinds of decorations greeting you around the city of Charleston. This fruit basket is one of them. You can also see pineapples. All of these say "Welcome" and originate from Barbados where they would receive these types of fruit in the trading process.
I am all out of thoughts for today. Hope you have enjoyed your Sunday!

03/05/10

Here is the "Sword Gate." It is nicely named that because in the middle is a sword! (Check out the second picture to see that.)
Do you know the difference between cast iron and wrought iron? I didn't really pay attention to that before this trip. Wrought iron is where the craftsman beats and forms the metal into the desired design. Cast iron is where they pour the liquid iron into a mold. I enjoyed learning that little tidbit!
Today at school I read about George Eastman, the founder of Kodak cameras, for my "Famous American Friday." I began to talk with the kids about how he figured out a way to turn the glass plates that used to be used in photography into the film that we know of today. I asked the kids how many have ever seen film/a negative. I only had around 4 kids raise their hands!! I'll be taking in some old film and negatives so they can see what that was like. We are so used to the digital instant gratification mode now that our kids haven't experienced those things.

Speaking on instant gratification....

While I do love my digital camera and all of the things that give us instant gratification, I also know what life was like before that and can appreciate it more. Today our kids have instant gratification in every arena of their life. It causes me to wonder.... are we seeing that instant gratification taught in kids is making them turn into adults who expect everything immediately and learn no patience? If we look at society, I think that is exactly what it is telling us.

I have seen that type of attitude/behavior grow in my years of teaching. Kids today want to be entertained and, honestly, they have a lack of creativity because they have everything at their fingertips. One teacher recently told me she asked her students who had computers, TV's, and video games in their rooms and TV's in their vehicles and a lot of the kids raised their hands!! (Wesley and Mikayla do not, as I am sure you all know. I want them outside or even inside using imaginations rather than having the thinking done for them!) Is it any wonder that most days I feel like I have to put on a show to even be heard or to get across a concept I am teaching? (No wonder I am so exhausted when I get home. lol)

I think we need to get back to some of the basics of NO instant gratification with our children to teach them patience and that everything isn't going to appear when they think it should. In fact, if we don't teach them that, how will they ever learn to wait on the Lord? His timing is not our timing. He is not in the business of "instant gratification."

Those times of waiting are the times that draw us closer to the One Who made us. If our children don't see that they can never fully realize that life isn't all about them - it is about the Lord. Here are just a few of the verses I found that tell us to WAIT on the Lord....

Psalm 37:7a
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 33:20
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

Lamentations 3:26
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

03/04/10

This is one of the many churches in Charleston, SC. Charleston is actually nicknamed "The Holy City" because the colony was begun for an investment, not for religious freedom, and so those in charge didn't mind what churches came into the city.

This church is built out of Brownstone from New England. The parishioners didn't realize just how much Brownstone cost so this church has no steeple because they ran out of funds! (Local people call it "the church with no steeple".... very fitting, huh?) The church members are now in the process of building a steeple. These are a couple of views I was able to capture while on the horse-drawn carriage tour. Quick pics are what you do in those cases. lol
If you look closely at the bricks you can see stars imprinted on them. These stars represent the labor that went into building the church. If I remember correctly, they stood for the people who helped build it.

In checking out some quotes today I found these:

Faith... is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods.
- C. S. Lewis

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

- George E. Mueller

The Lord has been teaching me more about faith in Him. The simple childlike faith fades away so rapidly when we become adults. We look so much on the cares of the world and those around us that we forget to look to the One Who holds us in the palm of His hands.